Unit ventilator



May 13, 1924. ,493,497

G. E. OTIS UNIT VENTILATOR Filed April 8. 192; 4 SheetS-Shet l UNIT VENTILATOR Filed A ril 8, 1921 4 Sheets-Shaet :s

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G. E. OTIS UNIT VENTILATOR Filed April 8. 1921 4 Sheets--Sheet 4 'ITE-- INYENTEE W M Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE. M

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Application filed April 8, 1921.

To all'whom it may conccm:

Be it known that I, GERALD EARLE OTIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Moline, county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have nade an InVe-ntion A pertaining to Unit Ventilators; and I do ereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This 'invention relates to portable units for mechanically supplying temperature conditioned air for ventilating rooms in buildings. and located in the rooms tobe ventilated or in spaces immediately adjoining the same. The device illustrated and described is one in which the normal function is to warm the fresh air for ventilation, with steam or hot water radiators, but it is to be undersood that the same or similar radiators may be used for cooling, or any other appropriate type of cooling or heating element substituted.

The object of my invention is the provision of a new and useful apparatus of the character described, the operation of which is practically noiseless, eflicient and Satisfactory. thereby particularly adapting it for use in churches schools, hospitals and the like and the application of which to modern buildings is facilitated. Further objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description thereof.

While the invention in its broader aspect is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustra-ted in the accompanying drawings, in which,- w

Fig. 1 is a Vertical section of an apparatus embodying the invention taken substantially on the line 1-1 in Fig. 2 and including the associated portion of the wall and floor of a room in which located. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus with a part broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the .line 3-3 in Fig. 2 with a part broken away. Fig. 4 is a reduced fragmentary section on the line 4- -4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a reduced end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a slightly different form of the apparatus,-and

Serial No. 9,041

Figj is a section of the air filtering means n 1 Reerring to the drawings, 1 designates a fresh air intake opening through an exter-ior building wall 2, or in a wall boundin a fresh air shaft. The opening 1 is prefera ly provided with a grate or screen 3.

A cabinet or casing 4 of sheet metal or other suitable construction is disposed within the room with which the intake opening 1 communicates at the inner end of the opening 1 so that all air which enters the room t erefrom is required to pass through the cabinet. The cabinet 4 encloses a temperature conditioning means 5, which in the present in'stance is in the form of a radiator and adapted to have either a heatedor cooling fluid of vapor, steam or liquid form pass therethrough from any suitable source of supply, as well understood in the art. The elements 5 are disposed in a temperature conditioning compartment or passageway 6, which is open at its bottom' to a loading compartment in the base of the ventilator casing, and this compartment is adapted to have communication with the interior of the room through a grated opening 8 controlled by a damper 9, and to have communication at. its rear with a fresh air compartment or flue 10 through an opening 11 controlled by a damper 12. The fresh air compartment or fiue 10 extends up at the rear of the con-- ditioning compartment 6, being separated therefrom by a partition 13, and extends to the top of the intake opening 1 in full communication therewith.

The conditioning compartment 6 opens at its top into a collecting chamber 14 in the top portion of the ventilator casing and this compartment hasone or more fan housings 15 therein, each of which has side openings 16 to the compartment and an exit opening 17 through the top of the housing to the interior of the room in which the ventilator is disposed. The discharge openings 17 are formed by frames 18 and each has deflecting vanes 19 disposed therein for gove'ning the angle of discharge of the air from the ventilator.

An electric motor 20 is Suspended within the Ventilator casing from the top thereof between the fan housings 15, and has its shaft projecting in opposite directions therefrom and into the respective fan housings and carrying a fan 21 therein. Each fan has air inlet openings at its sides in register inward and real-ward with respect to the di-- rection of rotation, as shown, so as to enable 'the fan to be run at high speed with a resultant minimum of noise due to the impact of the air with the blades. It is found in practice that with the blades' arranged in this manner the fan may be run at very high speeds with very little resultant noise.

In order that fresh air may be admitted direct to the collecting chamber 14 without passing through the conditioning chamber 6, the fresh ar flue 10 opens at its top to the chamber 14, such opening being controlled by a damper 23, the shaft of which extends without one end of the casing 4 and s casng 4 is provided in the front thereof with a door 25 which may be opened to permit access to the motor 20.

The dampers 9 and 12 have a unitary" control adapted to open one when the other is closed, and vice versa. This control consists in providing each damper shaft with a crank-arm 26 and connecting each arm by a link 27 to a vertically extending rod 28 having a handle 29 at its upper end project-ing laterally therefrom. through a T-slot 30 in the associated end of the casing. With the present arrangement, when the handle 29 is at the lower end of the slot 30 the damper 9 is closed and the damper 12 is open, and when the handle is at the upper end of the slot, in which position it may be held by entering either arm of the slot, the damper 9 is open and the damper 12 closed.

The casing 4 is provided with a rigid supporting frame 31 of structural steel or other suitable material, the essential purpose of which 'is to act as a combined support for the temperature conditioning elements and the fans and motor. This frame rests on the building floor or other suitable solid foundation. Brackets 32 are provided at the sides of the frame 31 for supporting the temperature conditioning elements 5 so that the conditioning neans acts as a ballasting means for the frame.

It is; found that one of the most desirable qualities in a ventilating apparatus of this class is noiseless operation, which should be approached as closely as possible, since one of the lar est fields for unit ventilators is in schools, ospitals and the like, where noise is objectionable. I have observed that noise in ventilators of this class originates from two sources, first, through vibration of the motor and running parts, and secondly, through the rush of air through the fans and restricted air passages.

One of the advantages afl'orded by my invention lies in the use of a rigid support- .sound deadening materials.

provided with a control handle 24. The.

ingframe 31 for carrying the fans and motor and which rests on a substanti al foundation and is ballasted by the weight of the temperature conditioning elements, and which is insulated from the frame and cabinet as well 'as from the motor by suitable In order to minimize the sound arising from the vibration and running of the motor, the top of the 'frame is provided at the ends thereof With shelt' plates 33, each. having a pad 34 of cork, felt or other sound deadening material mount'ed thereon and supporting the respective end of a top plate 35 from which the motor and fan housings are Suspended. The top plate 35 has openings 36 therein in 'register with the fan housing outlet openings. The motor 20 is attached to a sub-base plate 37 and is Suspended therewith from the top plate 35.by bolts 38. A sound deadening pad 39 of cork, felt or other suit 'able material is disposed between the top plate 35 and sub-plate 37. Noise and vibra tion from the moving parts is further'elin inated by providing an insulating pad nof felt or other suitable material 40 between the cover member 41 and cabinet 'and the frame 31 and top plate 35.'

The noise customarily resulting from the' rush of air through the fans and restricted air passages is avoided or minimized by providing air passages of suflicient capacity u to permit a. free and unrestricted passage of the air therethrough, and also by providing the fans with blades which are pitched or curved backward relative to the direction of rotation. u

I have also found that the arrangement of the fans whereby the air is drawn instead of blown through the temperature conditioning compartment is quite an improvement over apparatus of this character heretofore used. since it increases theefficiency of the heating or cooling element and re'duces the load on the fans. Where fans discharge through heating or cooling elements, the air current does not spread uniformly, particularly where the distance between them is short, but causes higher velocities in the sections opposite the fan outlet than in other sections. This results in lowered efliciency in the temperature conditioning element and in eddy currents in the air that waste the fan power. Moreover, the arrangement of the fans on the discharge sides of the 'temperature condillo tioning element insures better protection for 1 and may then pass directly into the collecting chamber 14 and be dischar therefrom into the room by the operation of the fans, or if desired the damper 23 may be entirely closed, the damper 12 opened and the damper 9 closed, so that the fresh air is caused to enter the loading compartment 7 and thence pass upward through the conditioning compartment 6, where it is either heated or cooled by the action thereon of the conditioning elements 5 and then passes into the collecting chambe'r 14 from which it is discharged into the room. If it is desired to reuse the air in the room, the damper 9 may be opened the desired extent for such purpose and the damper 12 either entirely or partially closed. as it may be desired to use alone the air in the room or to mix therewith fresh air from the flue 10. It is evident that a nice regulation of the air discharged into the room from the compartment 14 may be obtained to suit conditions, as either fresh air or room air or both may be directed through the conditioni'ng compartment into the collecting compartment 14, or the damper 23 may be opened to any desired extent to admit fresh air direct to the compartment'14 without first passing through theconditioning Compartment. y A

It is found in practice that the arrange ment whereby the tempering damper 23 is placed on the suction side of the fan is a material improvement over apparatus of this character in which the tempering damper is disposed on the exhaust side of the 'fan since it insures a more uniform mixture of the conditioned and unconditioned air when the tempering damper is opened. Experience has shown that a uniform temperature in the air discharged from the ventilators of the class described is important since streaky discharge eurrents are liable to cause unpleasant draughts in the room ventilated. While it is or-' dinarily extremely diflicult to get hot and cold Currents of air to thoroughly mix, the arrangement which I have provided is found to efl'ect such mixture in a thorough and eflicient manner.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a slightly changed Construction of the appa- 'ratus, the collecting compartment being deepened to provide a space between the fan housings and the upper ends of the fresh air compartment 10 and temperature conditioning compartment 6 for receiving a dust collecting means. This means comprises a drawer 4:5 preferably constructed in rectangular form of sheet metal and being inserted into the cabinet through an opening 46 in its front side. The drawer is open at top and bottom to permit the circ-ulat-ion of air therethrough and is provided lengthwise thereof or from front to rear, in

I trally over the the present instance, with a series of upper andlower sets of spaced rods 47, with the rods of one set alternating with respect to the rods of the other set, orin' other words, with the rods of the upper'set disposed cens aces between the rods of the'lower set. stri of cheese cloth 48 or other suitable air fi ter-ing medium of a width corresponding to the length of the rods is arranged in zig-zag form within the drawer, being 'passed successively under a rod of the lower set and then over a rod of the upper set, and so on throughout the width of the drawer, and fixed at its ends to the drawer sides. -A simple means for securing .the ends of the strip to the drawer sides is to provide each side of the drawer with an pstanding flange 49 over which the end portion of the strip may be drawn and then pressing a U-shaped clamping strip 50 down over the ends of the flange and the portion of the strip standing thereover This provides a very effective dust collecting medium for the air, and, being disposed between the source of air inlet supply and the motor, eliminates to a largeextent the objections incident to dust being drawn into the motor, and enables the motor rame to be open instead of closed,'which adds to its efficiency. By arranging the cloth or dust collecting medium in zig-zag form causes a much greater surface of the same to be presented to the air than would otherwise be the case. The drawer is capable of being easily and quickly removed from the cabinet for the purpose of cleaning or replacing the filtering cloth. In this form of the invention the position of the tempering damper, which is designated 23". is lowered some- What from that of the form first described to provide room for 'itto be opened below the filtering medium.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific Construction, arrangement or form of the parts as it is capable of numerous modications and changes in both the Construction and arrangements of the parts,` without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention,

llO

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a ventilator, a cabinet, a vertical fresh air flue at the rear wall of the cabinet, a horizontal loading compartnent at the bottom of the cabinet having one end communicating with the lower end of the flue and its opposite end opening through the front wall of the cabinet, dampers at the said respective ends of the loading compartment, means to eflect simultaneous operation of said dampers, a collecting compartment at the upper end of the cabinet communicating wt the upper end of the flue and opening into the room at its municating at its respective ends with the collecting and loading compartments, conditioning means in the conditioning compartment, and current creating means in the collecting compartment. t- 2. In a ventilator, a cabinet having a collecting compartment at its-top opening into the room, at the top of the cabinet, a fresh' air flue at the back of the cabinet communicating' at its top with the collecting compartment, a loading compartment at the cabinet base' communicating with the flue 'and with the room, a conditoning compart- 0 ment between the collecting and loading compartments and communicating with each, current creating means in the collecting compartment, and means whereby to enable fresh air to be drawn from the flue directly into the collecting compartment or to be drawn from the flue through the loading and conditioning compartments and thence into the collecting compartment or drawn from the room into the loading compartment and then through the conditioning compartment into the collecting compartment. y i

3. In a ventilator, a cabinet having a collecting compartment at its upper part opening into the room, a fresh air flue communicating with the compartment, a loading compartment communicating with the flue and the room, a conditioning compartment between the collecting and loading compartments 'and communicating with each, current creating means'in the collecting compartment, a damper between the flue and collecting compartment and dampers controlling communication of the loading compartment with the room and with the flue.

lecting compartment at its upper part opening into the room, a loading compartment at the lower part of the cabinet, a, condtionng 4. In a ventilator, a ;cabinet having a colcompartment between and communicating with the collectin 5. In a ventilator,'a cabinet, a collecting 'compartment in the cabinet opening into the room, a loading compartment beneath the collecting compartment, a conditioning compartment between the collecting and loadmg compartments and communicating with each, a. fresh air flue communicating with the loading and collecting compartments, current creating means in the collecting comartment, and means whereby air may be irectly drawn from the flue into the collecting compartment or maybe drawn downwardl through the through t e loading compartment and finally upwardly through the conditioning compartment into the collecting compartment. i

` 6. In a ventilator, 'a cabinet, a' collecting compartment'in the cabinet opening into the room, a` loading compartment beneath the collecting compartment, a conditioning compartment between the collecting and loading compartments and communicating with each, a fresh air flue communicating with the 'loading and collecting compartments, an inlet for the fresh air flue disposed below i the collecting compartment, means to control the communication between the fresh air flue and the' collecting compartment, current creating means in the collecting compartment, said loading compartment conmunicatin 'at its ends with the room and' fresh air ue, and a damper control for each end of the loading compartment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

- GERALD EARLE OTIVS.

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